University of Pennsylvania University of Pennsylvania

ScholarlyCommons ScholarlyCommons

Theses (Historic Preservation) Graduate Program in Historic Preservation

2009

THE IMPLICATAIONS OF THE SECOND VATICAN COUNCIL ON THE IMPLICATAIONS OF THE SECOND VATICAN COUNCIL ON

HISTORIC AMERICAN CATHOLIC ARCHITECTURE HISTORIC AMERICAN CATHOLIC ARCHITECTURE

Jenna Victoria Farah University of Pennsylvania

Follow this and additional works at: https://repository.upenn.edu/hp_theses

Part of the Historic Preservation and Conservation Commons

Farah, Jenna Victoria, "THE IMPLICATAIONS OF THE SECOND VATICAN COUNCIL ON HISTORIC AMERICAN CATHOLIC ARCHITECTURE" (2009). Theses (Historic Preservation). 130. https://repository.upenn.edu/hp_theses/130

A THESIS In Historic Preservation Presented to the Faculties of the University of Pennsylvania in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements of the Degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE IN HISTORIC PRESERVATION 2009

This paper is posted at ScholarlyCommons. https://repository.upenn.edu/hp_theses/130 For more information, please contact repository@pobox.upenn.edu.

THE IMPLICATAIONS OF THE SECOND VATICAN COUNCIL ON HISTORIC THE IMPLICATAIONS OF THE SECOND VATICAN COUNCIL ON HISTORIC AMERICAN CATHOLIC ARCHITECTURE AMERICAN CATHOLIC ARCHITECTURE

Disciplines Disciplines Historic Preservation and Conservation

Comments Comments A THESIS In Historic Preservation Presented to the Faculties of the University of Pennsylvania in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements of the Degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE IN HISTORIC PRESERVATION 2009

This thesis or dissertation is available at ScholarlyCommons: https://repository.upenn.edu/hp_theses/130

THE IMPLICATAIONS OF THE SECOND VATICAN

COUNCIL ON HISTORIC AMERICAN CATHOLIC

ARCHITECTURE

Jenna Victoria Farah

A THESIS

In

Historic Preservation

Presented to the Faculties of the University of Pennsylvania in

Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements of the Degree of

MASTER OF SCIENCE IN HISTORIC PRESERVATION

2009

____________________________________

Advisor

Randall Mason

Associate Professor

City & Regional Planning

_____________________________________

Program Chair

Frank G. Matero

Professor of Architecture

ii

For Anthony and Aidan.

I could never write enough words to tell you how much I love you.

I couldn’t do this without either of you.

iii

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank my advisor, Randy Mason for his guidance, patience and

encouragement.

Additionally I would like to thank the parish of Saint Francis de Sales and

specifically Susan Weiler for speaking with me about the history of Saint Francis.

Special thanks to Robert Venturi and the firm of Venturi Scott Brown and

Associates, Inc. Through interviews and unfettered access to their project files, I learned

more than I could have imagined about the Saint Francis project and appreciate the

opportunity to interview Mr. Venturi, which I view as a great privilege.

I would like to thank the Historic Preservation Department at the University of

Pennsylvania and Suzanne Hyndman for keeping us on track with due dates and

announcements over the last two years.

Thank you to my classmates, my friends, and my family. Your unwavering

support has meant more than you’ll ever know.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements……………………………………………………………………..iii

Table of Contents.…...…………………………………………………………………. iv

List of Figures.…………………………………………………………………………..v

Introduction......................................................................................................................1

Chapter 1 – Literature Review………………………………………………………...5

Part I: Setting the Stage:

A Review of Theological and Social Issues Facing the Church……............…………... 5

Part II: Ecclesiastical Documents……………………………...……………………….. 9

Part III: Vatican II Driven Reformation……………………………………………….... 11

Part IV: Secularly Driven Church Redesign……………………………………………. 13

Chapter 2- The Architecture of Catholicism………………………………………… 14

The Impact of Design on Experience……………………………………………………18

Material Considerations………………………………………………………………….23

It’s not the Vatican’s Fault? Modernism and Functionalism…………………………….26

Chapter 3- The Second Vatican Ecumenical Council ……………….…………….... 30

The Church as Crucible; the Council as Catalyst………………………………………. 30

Cultural Trends and Tension: A Catholic Response……………………….…………… 32

A lasting impact: Church in the 44 Years after Vatican II.……………………....……... 29

Mount Saint Michael, Spokane, Washington………………………………...… 36

Christ the Light Cathedral, Oakland, California……………………………..… 37

Saint John the Baptist, Tryon, North Carolina………………………...……...... 40

Chapter 4 - Case Study of Saint Francis de Sales, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....…43

Parish History……………………………………………...…………………...…..…... 45

The Renovations Take Shape........................................................................................... 50

Physical Description of the Installation............................................................................ 51

Build What You Believe; the Aftermath........................................................................... 55

Latest News: Parish Pussyfooters......................................................................................56

Chapter 5 – Conclusion.……..…………………………...……………….…..........…. 58

Works Consulted………… ……………………………..........……..……...........…… 62

Index………………………………………………………………………....…....……. 66

iv

v

List of Figures

1. Diagram of Christ’s Body/Floor Plan...……………………………………………… 16

2. Floor Plans of Blessed Trinity Roman Catholic Church, Buffalo, New York............. 17

3. Saint Bede Catholic Church, Williamsburg, Virginia……………………………….. 22

4. Notre Dame du Haute, Ronchamp, France.………………………………………….. 27

5. Sanctuary of Mount Saint Michael, Spokane, Washington………………………….. 37

6. Interior of Christ the Light Cathedral, Oakland, California……………………...….. 37

7. Exterior of Christ the Light Cathedral, Oakland, California…………………....…… 38

8. April 2003, Saint John the Baptist, North Carolina……………………………...….. 39

9. April 2009, Saint John the Baptist, North Carolina…………………………...…….. 42

10. Front elevation of Saint Francis de Sales church……..…..………………...…….... 43

11. Scout Sunday at Saint Francis de Sales…..………………………………...……… 44

12. Interior of Saint Francis de Sales pre -1965…...…………………………...………. 45

13. Vanna Venturi House.……………………………………………………...………. 50

14. Plan view of Venturi Installation…………………………………………………… 53

15. Sanctuary of Saint Francis de Sales, Venturi Installation…………………………... 54

16. Front View of Venturi Altar………………………...……………………………… 54

1

Introduction

The Catholic Church in America has complicated history due partly to the

fundamental belief in the separation of church and state. From architecture to art, priests,

parishioners, preservation professionals and the general public have unique relationships

with historic sacred spaces. These relationships are further complicated when historic

sacred spaces are community landmarks reaching beyond the faith community they serve.

The Second Vatican Council’s liturgical and theological reforms add a layer of

complexity and meaning to historic American Churches. Many Roman Catholic

churches, specifically their interiors, were altered to conform to new ritual practice while

simultaneously reflecting the architectural and social trends of the 1960’s and 1970’s. 1

The Council’s liturgical reforms reflect shifts in the way Catholicism has been practiced

since that time and illuminate the intrinsic link between church architecture and the belief

system of those who use it.

The Second Vatican Council reformed liturgical practices, embraced new ideas

with regard to the lay community’s role in the Church, and allowed for alteration of

existing church buildings while encouraging new designs for future churches. However,

the effect of these reformations transcended the Catholic community in America; the

preservation community became interested in how the Vatican directives would impact

historic churches, specifically the alteration of the interiors, as well as the removal of

communion rails, altars, statues and other great works of art and architecture.

1 Throughout this thesis Church and the Catholic Church are used interchangeably. Additionally,

this paper is only concerned with the Roman Catholic Church (as opposed to the Eastern

Orthodox Church etc.) unless otherwise specifically noted.

2

Parishes and preservationists have not always seen eye to eye with regard to the

treatment of historic church interiors. The writing of the following thesis draws on a

platform of values-centered preservation to understand and give appropriate

consideration to the interests of both parties. Values-centered preservation is a planning

methodology that first seeks to understand the resource, whether it is a site, building,

district etc. In this data collection phase a critical step is stakeholder identification.

Stakeholders are groups of people who may have a shared history of the place or a vested

interest in the future management of the place. When dealing with American Catholic

Churches, the delineation of stakeholder groups is a difficult, but crucial step, especially

when the church building is also a community architectural landmark. Decisions must be

made as to which group’s values have the highest priority when making preservation

decisions, is it the faith community that uses the space, the neighborhood residents, or the

professional preservation community that seeks to maintain the work of notable

architects? Each group has some interest in the way a historic church is handled.2

Drawing upon the assumption in values-centered preservation that there are

multiple facets of significance and key stakeholder parties involved in historic Catholic

churches, this thesis pursues an in-depth examination of the liturgical changes to historic

Catholic churches derived from the reforms instituted by the Second Vatican Council.

Theses liturgical changes directly impacted existing historic churches and set the tone for

new church design.

2 For more information on values-centered preservation see Randall Masons’ article “Theoretical

and Practical Arguments for Values-Centered Preservation” in CRM: The Journal of Heritage

Stewardship, volume 3 number 2 of Summer 2006.

3

Immediately following this introduction is a brief literature review. Part I

examines the seeds of social change as well as the theological formation of the American

Catholic Church in the 100 years preceding the Second Vatican Council. Part II outlines

the key documents produced by the United States Council of Catholic Bishops. Finally,

Parts III and IV outline the two most prominent, yet opposing views shaping the

preservation issue provoked by Vatican II; first of those who believe the Second Vatican

Council is responsible for what they view as the deformation of church architecture and

countered by literature reflecting the opinion that change was driven by the secular world,

specifically the philosophies of Americanism, Modernism, and the Liturgical Movement.

This literature review highlights the most important sources consulted in the completion

of this work, and on the two sides of the debate.

Chapter Two explores the development of traditional Catholic Church

architecture. This chapter also outlines the features that differentiate Catholic and other

Christian churches. It examines how Church dogma is displayed in church design and

addresses the role architecture (religious and secular) plays in the creation of an

experience. Additionally, this chapter examines the changes in traditional church

architecture driven by the liturgical reformation as well as the influence of popular

architectural movements, specifically functionalism and modernism.3

Chapter Three draws upon the works of Jay Dolan, Edward Hales and Thomas

Woods, which are outlined in the literature review. Using these authors’ discussions of

Americanism and Modernism, this chapter examines the cultural trends such as the Civil

3 “Traditional” refers to the time period before 1962 and the Second Vatican Council.

4

Rights movement that emerged around the world prior to the Second Vatican Council.

Additionally, Chapter Three also provides a brief history of the Council and ends with

three illustrative case studies of churches that experienced the range of architectural

responses to Vatican II: Mount Saint Michael’s, Christ the Light Cathedral and Saint

John the Baptist illustrate the manners in which Catholic Church architecture has

developed and diversified since the close of the Second Vatican Council in 1965.

The practical realities of the issues linking theology to architecture discussed to

this point area fleshed out in Chapter Four in the case study of Saint Francis de Sales

Catholic Church in West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This chapter studies the history of

the parish leading up to Robert Venturi’s 1968 installation of new interior furnishings.

Venturi’s design sought to bring the church into compliance with both Vatican II

directives on the congregation’s active participation in the Mass, as well as the United

States Council of Catholic Bishops’ decrees on Catholic Church design published in

Environment and Art in Catholic Worship. While Venturi’s design may have

accomplished this goal, the work was so ill received that the congregation removed the

furnishings almost immediately upon their installation.

Chapter Five closes this thesis by addressing the conflicts between beliefs, users,

stakeholders, and architectural change, as seen through the lens of values-centered

heritage management.

5

Chapter 1: Literature Review

Discussing Catholic architecture requires discussing Catholic theology as the two

are inextricably linked. When studying the causes of the ecclesiastic architectural

reformation that occurred after the Second Vatican Council the subject must be studied

from many perspectives including theological conflict, architectural development and

social changes. The sources used in the following thesis draw upon a wide range of texts

exploring the myriad of contributing issues that were catalysts for the convention of the

Council and the subsequent liturgical and architectural changes in American Catholic

Churches.

Part I: Setting the stage: a review of theological and social

issues facing the Church

Dolan, Jay P. In Search of an American Catholicism: A History of Religion and Culture

in Tension. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003.

Hales, Edward E. E. The Catholic Church in the Modern World. London: Eyre and

Spottiswoode, 1958.

Woods, Thomas E. The Church Confronts Modernity. New York: Columbia University

Presss, 2004.

Jay Dolan, Edward Hales, and Thomas Woods address the challenges facing

Catholic Church both from within as well as from society at large. Their review of the

Church’s response to popular philosophical and cultural developments explains the

impetus for the Second Vatican Council. Hales and Woods concentrate on the issues

facing the worldwide church; Dolan takes the issues the other two authors raise and

applies them to American Catholicism.

6

Thomas Woods is a New York Times Best Selling Author and a Senior Fellow at

the Ludwig von Mises Institute. In his work, The Church Confronts Modernity, Hales

examines the Modernist movement, which gained steam at the end of the 19th

and carried

over into the early 20th

centuries and caused a substantial stumbling block for the

Catholic Church. Modernism was the combination of new philosophies and scientific

discoveries including Darwin’s The Origin of the Species. Additionally, the industrial

revolution brought in a new era of consumerism and materialism; the Pope’s traditional

control over intellectual, scientific and moral standards was severely threatened. Pope

Pious IX was so upset by the challenges Modernism seemed to pose to the Church that he

wrote Syllabus of Errors in 1864 addressing the grievous mistakes of contemporary

philosophers and society in general. In America in particular, there were two major

theological controversies: “Americanism” and “Modernism.” Americanism was “a term

that referred to an extensive eagerness to ease the Church’s discipline and present its

doctrines in such a way as to appeal to modern man.”4 Pope Leo XIII condemned this

idea in his encyclical Testem Benevolentiae in 1899. While the definition of Modernism

is less straightforward, Pope Pius X included “dogmatic evolution, vital immanence,

subjectivism, and historical relativism” 5among the evils assembled under this heading.

Americanism and Modernism are the cornerstones to understanding the struggle

between the Catholic Church as a whole and the American Catholic Church. These two

movements threatened to the empire-like control the Church held over its members to this

point in history.

4 Woods, Thomas E. The Church Confronts Modernity. New York: Columbia University Press,

2004. 2. 5 Ibid. 2.

7

While Woods is able to examine pre and post Vatican II American Catholicism,

Edward Hales published his work in 1958, four years before the opening of the Council.

The Catholic Church in the Modern World follows the form of a general survey of the

previous 200 years of Catholicism, but breaks down by country/region the way the

Church was involved in a variety of historical events such as the chapter entitled

“Mussolini, Hitler, and Pius XI” or “The French Revolution.”

Hales, an English Catholic historian and author of several books including Pio Nono

and Napoleon and the Pope in addition to The Catholic Church in the Modern World,

devotes several chapters to the Church in America where he, like Woods examines the

challenges the Church faced raised by Americanism and the strains on Papal authority

compounded by geographic distance from Rome. Additionally, Hales points out how the

American Catholic Church was fundamentally different from its counterparts in Europe:

unlike nations like France whose history included a governmental link between Rome

and the monarchy, America was a melting pot of every religion and nation and at no

point in its history had any such tie to the Church. Illuminating this point, the Church’s

‘Parliament of Religions’ held at the Chicago Columbus Exhibition of 1892 during which

representatives of the world’s great religions were invited “to show the basic unity of

men’s religious beliefs…and to explain their own peculiar tenets without attacking those

of the others”6 was a great success. When a similar meeting was attempted a few years

later at the Paris World Exhibition, the Archbishop of Paris objected so strongly, the

meeting was never convened.

6 Hales, Edward E. E. The Catholic Church in the Modern World. London: Eyre and

Spottiswoode, 1958. 181.

8

Building upon this historical base of dissent between the American Church and

the Church as a whole, Jay Dolan’s work In Search of an American Catholicism: A

History of Religion and Culture in Tension brings the conflicts into the period

immediately preceding the Second Vatican Council. Through a retrospective of the

issues of Modernism and Americanism the Church faced in America, Dolan, Professor

Emeritus of History at Notre Dame College, explains that the 1960’s were a major

turning point for American Catholicism, given the election of John F. Kennedy, the first

Catholic President, as well as a new Pope, John XXIII, known for his “modern, urbane

style”7 contrasting with that of his predecessors. The culmination of the events of the

preceding 100 years was the Second Vatican Council.

Dolan examines the effects of the Council on American Catholicism in the

subsequent 40+ years. The possibility of the Church’s new direction and embrace of

change was welcomed with hope and excitement. However, for many Catholics in

America, the realization that the Church could change left many parishioners

uncomfortable at best and disillusioned at worst. Two camps of American Catholics

developed, some who

…resented change in what they believed was an unchanging institution…

[and] others [who] wanted more change and were disappointed …for what

they believed was a too hesitant and cautious endorsement of reform.8

The internal conflicts were not new to the American Catholic Church, but for the

first time in history, there was a defined moment at which theological change could be

7 Dolan, Jay P. In Search of an American Catholicism: A History of Religion and Culture in

Tension. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003. 192. 8 Ibid. 195.

9

pinpointed. Understanding how the American Catholic Church theologically developed

sets the stage for a more complete understanding of how and why the liturgical changes

instituted by the Second Vatican Council were received with dramatically different

degrees of acceptance. The Church, which had leaned heavily on hierarchy to maintain

authority, was on the verge of accepting and encouraging its lay members into a more

active and equal role in the celebration of the sacraments.

Part II: Ecclesiastical documents

Bishops' Committee on the Liturgy. Environment and Art in Catholic Worship. Grand

Rapids: Hunter Press, 1978.

Ciferni, Andrew D., OP "Overview of Environment and Art in Catholic Worship."

Diocese of Winona. 10 Sept. 2008

<www.dow.org/documents/EACWstudyDOC.doc>.

National Conference of Catholic Bishops. Built of Living Stones. Grand Rapids: United

States Council of Catholic Bishops, 2001.

Second Vatican Council. Sacrsanctum Consilium: Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy. 4

Dec. 1963.

The ecclesiastical documents produced by the Second Vatican Council, most

notably Sacrosanctum Concilium, sought to clarify and codify many of the changes the

world-wide Catholic Church was experiencing. Among the pressures on the Church was

a growing sense of independence of the people and lessening of papal authority.

Additionally, the American congregations were growing tired of feeling excluded from

rituals, especially the Mass, by traditions such as the all-Latin rite. Sancrosanctum

10

Concilium represented the realization of the Church authorities that theology and ritual

must be updated to stay current and applicable to modern life.9

A major concept that emerged from the Council, specifically the document

Sancrosanctum Concilium, was the idea of “active participation.” The term “active

participation” refers to bringing the “People of God,” or the congregation, to fuller

participation in the rites and rituals of the Mass. This term has also been interpreted as a

call for redesign of the “House of God” or church building to accomplish this aim. In

Built of Living Stones the Bishops emphasized the church building was to suit the needs

of the congregation: they stated, “Every church building is a gathering place for the

assembly, a resting place, a place of encounter with God…”10

This statement is a toned

down version of the original written in Environment and Art in Catholic Worship which

states, “The historical problem of the church as a place attaining a dominance over the

faith community need not be repeated as long as Christians respect the primacy of the

living assembly.”11

The Bishops’ Committee not only encouraged new design, it said the

modern church no longer needed to look to historical precedent for church design. Many

United States Bishops and dioceses derived their authority to redesign churches from

these lines. As a result, they accepted and encouraged new church design, specifically

the shape of church buildings and placement of interior furnishings such as altars, as well

9 The opening lines of SC (Introduction. sec. 1 & 4) state that among the aims of the Second

Vatican Council’s meeting and this document in particular is to “adapt more suitably to the needs

of our own times and institutions which are subject to change… [as well as] where necessary, the

rites be revised carefully in light of sound tradition, and that they be given new vigor to meet the

circumstances and needs of modern times.” 10 National Conference of Catholic Bishops. Built of Living Stones. Grand Rapids: United States

Council of Catholic Bishops, 2001. 6. 11 Bishops' Committee on the Liturgy. Environment and Art in Catholic Worship. Grand Rapids:

Hunter Press, 1978. 21.

11

as the removal of other fixtures such as reredos and communion rails, which were

perceived as enforcing traditional hierarchies. However, this is a major point of

contention; critics of redesign and modern church architecture cling to the belief the

United States Council of Catholic Bishops took the idea farther than it was intended.

The United States Council of Catholic Bishops published further guidelines for

renovation and redesign in the book Environment and Art in Catholic Worship and an

additional document, Built of Living Stones: Art, Architecture, and Worship in 2001,

which are designed to guide the American Catholic Church in the architectural

implementation of the “active participation” concept. The Bishop’s prescriptions address

various aspects of church design such as the role of religious art, the role of professionals,

and the placement of liturgical furniture. These guidelines are not hard and fast

regulations, but they do allow for a liberal interpretation of traditional forms and tend to

be followed by many liturgical consultants. Critics of modern church design and

renovations believe these guidelines are too liberal and the United States Council of

Catholic Bishops has gone above and beyond what the Second Vatican Council called

for, resulting in buildings that are a detriment to the faith community.

Part III: Vatican II driven reformation

Cotton, J. Randall. "ALTARations: Vatican II and Historic Church Interiors." Inspired

(1989): 4-6-10-13.

Rose, Michael S. "Renovating or Ruining the Cathedrals?" Catholic World News. 15 Oct.

2001. 31 July 2008

<http://www.ewnews.com/news/viewstory.cfm?recnum=20592>.

Rose, Michael S. Ugly As Sin : Why They Changed Our Churches from Sacred Places to

Meeting Spaces - and How We Can Change Them Back Again. New York:

Sophia Institute Press, 2001.

12

Schloeder, Steven J. Architecture in Communion: Implementing the Second Vatican

Council Through Liturgy and architecture. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1998.

Michael S. Rose, an author who has written extensively on Catholic architecture

believes the United States Council of Catholic Bishops took too much liberty in their

interpretation of the Second Vatican Council’s mandated changes in the design and

presentation of church architecture. Rose insists that modern churches actually foster a

selfish attitude of worshipers who build spaces more concerned with their comfort during

worship than focusing on God. By clinging to, and misinterpreting “active participation,”

the United States Council of Catholic Bishops, Rose writes, has allowed the “People of

God” (emphasis on people) to become more important than the “House of God” and God,

himself.

Like Rose, J. Randall Cotton, of the Philadelphia Historic Preservation

Corporation, recognizes the direct link between Vatican II and the renovation of historic

churches. However, he does not go so far as to claim the renovations were a detriment to

the Catholic faith. Rather, Cotton acknowledges that renovations have been done with

care and minimal disruption is most cases, and points out churches where alterations have

not been as seamless.

Stephen J. Schloeder is an architect specializing in Catholic Church design. His

work Architecture in Communion gives theological, sociological, historical and liturgical

context to modern Catholic churches. He also explores the specific architectural

requirements of churches and seeks to explain the iconographic aspect of historic

churches. Schloeder methodically examines the relationship between the Second Vatican

13

Council and church architecture, embracing the idea the two are linked, but never

suggests ways in which to handle the liturgical changes.

Part IV: Secularly driven church redesign

Rutler, George W., Rev "Ten Myths of Contemporary Church Architecture." Sacred

Architecture Fall 1998. The Catholic Liturgical Library. 7 Nov. 2008

<http://www.catholicliturgicallibrary.com/index/cfm/FuseAction/ArticleText/Inde

x/65/SubIndex/116/ArticleIndex/24>.

Smith, Randall. "Don’t Blame Vatican II." Sacred Architecture Journal 13 (2007).

Stroik, Duncan G. "The Roots of Modernist Church Architecture." Duncan G. Stroik

Architect, LLC. 2009. 6 Feb. 2009 <http://www.stroik.com>.

The above authors are among those who believe societal pressures, shifting

cultural norms, and more importantly, changing architectural style and technological

innovation had a greater impact on church design than Vatican II. Many in this camp

point to the Modernist12

movement’s influence among many Protestant churches (e.g.

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Unity Temple of 1904), which grew in popularity in the early part

of the 20th

century.13

Rutler, Smith and Stoik believe change was in the works for Catholic

Church architecture long before the Second Vatican Council convened; the impetus for

change was firmly rooted in the secular world, not theological changes.

This opinion is bolstered by the writings of the architects responsible for the

renovations and they shed significant light on the state of church renovations. Robert

Venturi, whose work at Saint Francis de Sales is profiled as a case study in Chapter Four,

wrote in letters to the parish, letters to the editor; he continues to maintain the position

12 The Modernist movement refers the architectural movement, not the philosophical concept of

Modernism previously discussed in Part I. 13 Stroik, Duncan G. "The Roots of Modernist Church Architecture." Duncan G. Stroik Architect,

LLC. 2009. 6 Feb. 2009 <http://www.stroik.com>.

14

that his work was in response to practical changes and that he responded sensitively to

the existing fabric by introducing new materials, not by trying to imitate the original.14

The belief that secular forces played the largest role in church renovation/redesign

holds that popular trends in both social attitudes and architecture are the source of radical

(and often unpopular) renovations.

This shift from profane architecture to sacred is only noted within a select group

of Catholic examples. While this paper only considers Catholic Churches, a compelling

argument for the growing popularity of transforming urbane architecture into sacred

spaces can be made when the scope is broadened to include all Christian denominations.

A recent trend and complete break from tradition in the United States is to build “mega

churches” such as Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church in Texas where average weekly

congregations number around 47,000 not including those who participate via streaming

web video or television. This new “warehouse church” trend is further evidence for

changing norms in religious architecture.

14 "Robert Venturi and Saint Francis de Sales." Personal interview. 7 Apr. 2009.

15

Chapter 2: The Architecture of Catholicism

Prior to the Second Vatican Council, thousands of Catholic churches were

constructed around the world, each with unique designs yet all based upon the same

guiding principles. Drawing from Vetruvius’s three rules of architecture -- utility,

strength and beauty -- Michael S. Rose makes a case for three natural laws of Catholic

Church construction: 1. A Catholic Church must have verticality, 2. A Catholic Church

must have permanence, and 3 A Catholic Church must have iconography.15

Rose

believes the verticality symbolizes reaching for Heaven as well as creating a cavernous

space where the worshiper is physically dwarfed reminding him or her that God is all-

powerful. The importance of permanence is based upon the idea that, “The church, a

building that will serve generation after generation, transcending time and culture, must

be constructed of durable materials.”16

Finally, iconography serves as visual reference

points for contemplation; every image in a church means something or serves as a

teaching point about the faith.

The floor plan of traditional churches is also steeped in meaning. In his work

Architecture in Communion, Steven Schloeder explores the link between the anatomical

form of the human body and the way in which it translates to the floor plan of churches;

he writes,

Christ’s head is at the apse, which is the seat of governance represented by

the bishop’s cathedra; the choir is his throat, from which the chants of the

monks issue forth the praise of God; the transepts are his extended arms;

his torso and legs form the nave, since the gathered faithful are his body;

15 Rose, Michael S. Ugly As Sin : Why They Changed Our Churches from Sacred Places to

Meeting Spaces - and How We Can Change Them Back Again. New York: Sophia

Institute Press, 2001. 16 Ibid. 23.

16

the narthex represents his feet, where the faithful enter the church; and at

the crossing is the altar, which is the heart of the church. The power and

clarity of this image of the crucified Lord is precisely why it was the

predominant model for church design until the second half of the twentieth

century.17

Diagram of Christ’s body as the basis for traditional church floor plans.

18

The traditional church building is built from the blueprint of the Faith and has a powerful

impact on those who worship there.

17 Schloeder, Steven J. Architecture in Communion: Implementing the Second Vatican Council

Through Liturgy and architecture. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1998. 30. 18 Ibid. 30.

17

Floor Plan of Blessed Trinity Roman Catholic Church, Buffalo, Erie County, NY.

Image shows a typical, pre-Vatican II floor plan employing the cruciform shape as

discussed above.19

19

HABS NY-5709. Drawing of First Floor Plan. 1933. Historic American Buildings Survey

18

Rose focuses on the meaning of elements in traditional churches; the United

States Council of Catholic Bishops lists the required architectural elements necessary for

the proper performance of the Mass. In their publication Environment and Art in Catholic

Worship, the Bishops’ tone reflects a wholehearted embrace of “active participation.”

They go so far as to say, “The liturgical space should have a ‘good feeling’ in terms of

human scale, hospitality and graciousness. It does not seek to impress, or even less,

dominate, but its clear aim is to facilitate the public worship and common prayer…”20

The Impact of Design on Experience

Humans are deeply affected by their environments: by natural and man-made

forces, by art and architecture. The sense of insignificance felt in the middle of the ocean

is just as powerful as the smallness a pedestrian feels among the skyscrapers of New

York City. The built and natural environments are two different forces, but that humans

react to both illustrates the impact and importance of environment. The human

experience is shaped and manipulated by architecture; a particularly powerful notion

when considering religious architecture, especially in the impact alterations to such a

familiar environment has on the human experience.

What makes a sacred space sacred? What are the architectural clues the passerby

understands that convey the purpose of a church? For hundreds of years it was the

proportions of doorways to façades (height greater than width), quality and permanence

(Library of Congress), Blessed Trinity Roman Catholic Church, Buffalo.

20 Bishops' Committee on the Liturgy. Environment and Art in Catholic Worship. Grand Rapids:

Hunter Press, 1978. 25.

19

of materials (stone) and decorative elements (demons) that distinguished a church from a

castle, a bank, or a house. However, with the advent of modernist architecture (and

architects such as Robert Venturi), the clues that inform the user what purpose a building

serves have been removed; minimalism, sleekness and ambiguity have taken over.

To understand the impact of post-Vatican II reformations, the elements that make

a church (Christian or Catholic) must be made clear. There are many commonalities

among Christian churches including altars, seating for the celebrant and the congregation,

many have a choir loft, a pulpit, and some representation of the cross or crucifix.21

However, a deeper look exposes the differences between Catholic and other Christian

denomination churches. The central difference is the presence of the Tabernacle

containing the Holy Eucharist. A delineating factor between Catholics and other

denominations is the Catholic belief that the consecrated bread and wine have undergone

transubstantiation and actually become the Body and Blood of Jesus. Only Catholic

Churches have a tabernacle where Jesus is believed to dwell.

The transubstantiation of the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Jesus

which occurs during the Mass happens on the altar. Prior to Vatican II the altar was

accessible on only three sides forcing the priest to perform the Mass with his back to the

congregation. The altar was set against an elaborately carved backdrop called a reredo,

and a communion rail cordoned off altar and apse. These interior architectural

furnishings were frequently seen as having great historic and artistic value. Thus, their

21For clarity, a cross is the symbol of comprised of two intersecting, perpendicular lines, a

crucifix has the image of Jesus nailed to the cross.

20

removal or alteration often caused a great deal of preservation controversy; congregations

sought to modernize their churches in accordance with Vatican II directives while

preservationists sought to protect the art and architecture.

After Vatican II the altar was “turned around” to face the people, a change that led

frequently to the removal of the reredo and high altar -- interior architectural features

frequently seen as having great artistic and historic architectural value, therefore their

removal often sparked preservation controversy.

The popular explanation of “turning the altar “ to face the people is misleading;

rather altars were either ignored, relegated to non-functioning decorative status or

removed all together. When removal occurred original altars of stone were torn out and

frequently replaced with altars of wood that more closely resembled a table. The new

table was accessible on all four sides allowing the celebrant to face the people. When

removal of the high altar occurred, it was done in an effort to conform to Environment

and Art’s prescription that the altar’s “symbolic function…is rendered negligible when

there are other altars in sight. The liturgical space has room for but one.”22

Occasionally,

high altars were left intact, but devoid of any function other than decoration or as a space

to place the tabernacle.

Another fundamental difference between Catholic and Christian churches are the

presence of confessionals. A central tenant of Catholicism is the belief that frequent

confession of sins must be made to a priest as a way to receive God’s saving Grace.

Removing confessionals from the worship space and relegating them to the back of the

22 Bishops' Committee on the Liturgy. Environment and Art in Catholic Worship. Grand Rapids:

Hunter Press, 1978. 34.

21

sanctuary or rooms off the narthex signals an attitude and focus shift from God to

congregation.

Prior to the Second Vatican Council and (perhaps more importantly) the

publication of Environment and Art in Catholic Worship, the confessional was a two-

roomed chamber with an immovable partition between the penitent and the priest with a

screen allowing for conversation between the two, but not visual or physical contact. In

response to the Council’s directive to embrace a new approach to the congregation, the

United States Council of Catholic Bishops determined the Reconciliation Chapel should

offer “the penitent a choice between face-to-face encounter or the anonymity provided by

a screen”23

On the surface this may seem like a minor change, yet in reality it represents a

fundamental change in attitude which allows the individual a choice in how to experience

a sacrament instead of an imposed format. Additionally, many confessionals in historic

churches were altered either in situ or through relocation to accommodate this directive.

Individual choice with regard to the way sacraments are experienced is very clear

with regard to seating. The wide variety of seating plans and pew types (moveable chairs,

padded benches etc.) currently used in American churches demonstrates that worshiper

comfort is the highest priority in seating design. Previously, hard, immoveable, wooden

pews represented the Church’s theological rigidity and authority; their arrangement

directed congregants’ attention toward the altar and did not allow for engagement with

fellow parishioners through face to face contact the way ‘theater in the round does.

In pre-Vatican II churches, especially those at least 100 years and older, the

seating is an unmovable, wooden pew. Wooden kneelers compliment the pews. The

23 Ibid. 37.

22

pews and kneelers were purely utilitarian and not designed with worshiper comfort in

mind. After the Second Vatican Council, a wide array of seating options have cropped

up, including traditional pews, padded pews with attached kneelers, folding chairs, or no

seating at all. A central aisle runs from the entrance to the altar, occasionally, side aisles

will be present. However, as church design drew increasingly on a theater model, and

focus shifted to the congregation’s role in the celebration of the Mass, the congregation

demanded accommodations for their comfort. Sanctuaries are now often set up like

theaters in the round such as St. Bede Catholic Church in Williamsburg, Virginia.

Saint Bede Catholic Church, Williamsburg, VA. Example of “theater in the round” approach to contemporary church design.

24

24 Patel, Prakash. The Nave. 2004. Saint Bede Catholic Church, Williamsburg. 10 Apr. 2009

<http://bedeva.org>.

23

The United States Council of Catholic Bishops prescribes that, “Benches or chairs

for seating the assembly should be so constructed and arranged that they maximize

feelings of community and involvement…”25

This means striving for a seating pattern

and furniture that do not constrict people, but encourage them to move about when it is

appropriate. This list comprised of communion rails, altars, pews, confessionals, and

tabernacles locations highlights many of the areas in historic churches became that

became targets for renovation or alteration. While it is not an exhaustive list of changes

instigated by Vatican II and Environment and Art in Catholic Worship, the alterations

described above are representative of the changing attitude that raises the priority of the

parishioner’s experience and comfort. The perception shifts so that the church building’s

primary function is no longer to serve as the House of God, rather it proclaims its

members are the People of God who use the building to accommodate their needs, in

addition serving as a place for worship.

While the shifting attitudes regarding the function and design of liturgical spaces

were an important reflection of the changes in Catholicism, it was also an important

moment in the preservation of historic church interiors. Until this point the Church

functioned as the curators of their own interiors, preserving great art and architectural

works through continued use. However, the decline in functionality of these works

mirrored the decline of value placed upon them by their original stewards, the Church.

The value loss was only associated with their theological usefulness; they continued to

25 Bishops' Committee on the Liturgy. Environment and Art in Catholic Worship. Grand Rapids:

Hunter Press, 1978. 32.

24

hold artistic and historic value to preservationists. This value shift is the crux of the

conflict between the Church and preservationists; whose values carry more weight?

Material Considerations

The choice of materials should not be overlooked whether it is with regard to the

exterior construction or interior design elements. Many, if not all of the elements of

Catholic Churches discussed above, were impacted by material choices.

Environment and Art in Catholic Worship unabashedly advocates for the

incorporation of modern forms of both art (i.e. music) and architecture, and directly

addresses the issue of material considerations. The Bishops decree that “Whatever the

style or type, no art has a right to be in liturgical celebration if it is not of high quality…”

They go on to define quality by ruling out “anything trivial and self-centered, anything

fake, cheap or shoddy, anything pretentious or superficial.”26

Building upon this earlier

definition of quality, Built of Living Stones states, “Quality is evident in the honesty and

genuineness of the materials that are used.”27

Despite the Bishops’ descriptions about

what quality is not, their descriptions fall short of definitively explaining what quality

should be. Finally, they temper their previous wholesale endorsement of new art and

architecture by reminding parishes of the value of historic works;

In the construction of new church buildings, there is no standard pattern

for church art nor should art and architectural styles from any particular

time or culture be imposed arbitrarily upon another community.

Nonetheless, the patrimony of sacred art and architecture provides a

26 Ibid. 34 27 National Conference of Catholic Bishops. Built of Living Stones. Grand Rapids: United States

Council of Catholic Bishops, 2001. 51.

25

standard by which a parish can judge the worthiness of contemporary

forms and styles.28

The United States Council of Catholic Bishops’ statement is well and good, but

one must contemplate what a stone building with soaring ceilings and towers and rich

decoration says, versus what a wooden building with low rooflines, a more human scale

and minimal decoration represents; one gives a sense of permanence and strength, of

reaching for the heavens, and the other conveys a greater connection to the temporal.

Traditional and modern designs can use the finest materials to create a space where the

same activities can occur, but it is highly unlikely the same feeling exists in both.

The material composition of an object or building is just as important as its

placement and function. The material conveys a layer of meaning about its use, the

intention behind its design, and in the case of Catholic churches, something about the

faith of which it is a part. The authenticity of materials in preservation is a topic worthy

of papers and conferences and should always carefully be considered when designing a

restoration or alteration.29

The question must always be asked, “What is the design

intervention going to say about this space?” This question reemerges with the Venturi

case in Chapter Four. Venturi may have used vinyl and Plexiglas in a way that did not

seek to deceive the user regarding the type of material, but the choice of such thoroughly

modern and unnatural materials (e.g. plastic versus stone) did not match the quality of the

pre-existing sanctuary furnishings.

28 Ibid. 51. 29 For a more in-depth discussion on material authenticity within preservation see: Matero, Frank

G. "Loss, Compensation and Authenticity in Architectural Conservation." Journal of

Architectural Conservation 12 (2006): 71-90.

26

It’s not the Vatican’s Fault? Modernism and Functionalism

In his article “Don’t Blame Vatican II: Modernism and Modern Catholic Church

Architecture,” Randall Smith asserts that “bad architecture in America is the result, quite

simply of American having bad ideas about architecture.” While the validity of this

assertion is questionable, he nevertheless reflects a widespread frustration that modern

churches reflect not only bad taste, but also more importantly “With modernist

‘functionalism’…we are often left with church buildings that make few, if any, references

to the iconic heritage or architectural traditions of the Catholic Church.”30

Smith’s views

are widespread, though they are not groundbreaking.

Le Corbusier is simultaneously rued and heralded as the architect who introduced,

or at least made acceptable, modernist forms for Catholic Churches. Le Corbusier’s 1955,

Notre Dame du Haute at Ronchamp in France “…introduced a new expressionistic

style… The curvaceous structure was… abstract… and it became an icon for Catholic

churches in the 1960’s.” 31

This abstract building style has continued to serve as

inspiration for modernist churches such as the Cathedral of Christ the Light, Oakland,

California (see Chapter 3). The abstraction of church architecture has been interpreted

both positively, as the “breaking down of hierarchical definition… intended to enable

‘full and active participation’ by the laity,” and negatively, because “traditional elements

that had enabled participation for centuries were rejected.”32

30 Smith, Randall. "Don’t Blame Vatican II." Sacred Architecture Journal 13 (2007). 31 Smith, Thomas. "Architecture and Active Participation." Antiphon: A Journal for Liturgical

Renewal 9 (2005): 124. 32 Ibid. 121.

27

Notre Dame du Haute, Ronchamp, France. Le Corbusier, 1955.33

In 1968 Mr. Robert L. Durham, past president of the American Institute of

Architecture delivered an address to the 29th

Conference on Religious Architecture

entitled “Sticks and Stones for Tomorrow.” His speech could easily be the text from

which Smith draws inspiration as he writes, “Form has not followed function, it has been

allowed to supplant function.” As Durham explains,

Technological advances have escalated the changes in architecture so that

in the last twenty-five years we have developed styles, ideas,

clichés…squeezed two hundred years of evolution into less than one-half

the normal architect’s period of practice.34

33 Corner, Donald, and Jenny Young. “Notre Dame du Haute. Ronchamp,” Ronchamp, France.

Great Buildings Online. <GreatBuildings.com>. 9 May 2009. 34

Durham, Robert, L. FAIA. “Sticks and Stones for Tomorrow.” Faith and Form. 1 (1968): 6-7.

27.

28

The implications of this statement cannot be undervalued; it is applicable to both the

physicality of material use as well as design practice and instead of becoming obsolete,

his words have continued to grow in relevance some 40 years after they were uttered.

The Catholic Church has long been a patron of the arts and commissioned some

of the most notable works through out the centuries. Over time, the Church has been a

patron of the modern artists of each era such as Michelangelo and Alessandro di Mariano

Filipepi, also known as Sandro Botticelli. The Church should follow this tradition by

patronizing the artists and architects of the 20th

and 21st centuries, but with caution. As

Durham noted in 1968, technological design and innovation were becoming more rapid;

until this point in history in theology and practice, change was very slow. The Second

Vatican Council ushered in sweeping reforms in a matter of three years, the whiplash

pace has never before been seen in Church history and has yet to be repeated in the 44

years since the close of the Council. Similarly, when great buildings took decades, not

months to complete, change could occur both in the use of materials, as well as design,

without a jarring effect and blatant disruption of tradition. Prior to 100 years ago,

architects were perhaps less concerned with their own artistic prerogative and more with

using design as “…a tool for accomplishing a purpose. [Architecture] may create delight,

or fascination, or it may dull the spirit.”35

These sentiments began to fall by the wayside in the late 19th

and early 20th

centuries; evolving into a new discipline where the architect became an artist,

architecture forged a new path through a dramatic break from the past. Perhaps the

direction design took did not surprise those within the discipline, but the lay public was

35 Ibid.

29

seeing forms which had little, if any precedence in vernacular architecture of Main Street

America. These new architectural forms were exciting and scary because they

represented a new era and uncharted territory for society. As David Lowenthal explains,

“The past is integral to our sense of identity; ‘the sureness of “I was” is a necessary

component of the sureness of “I am.”’36

If there is no connection to the past, there is a

danger in feeling adrift in the present; a major reason the disruption of the comforts of

Catholic tradition were an anchor in a sea of change. Additionally, Lowenthal explains

why a lack of rootedness in the past is an impulse for preservation:

The impulse to preserve is partly a reaction against the increasing

evanescence of things and the speed with which we pass them by. In the

face of massive changes we cling to the remaining familiar vestiges. And

we compensate for what is gone with an interest in its history.37

There is nothing intrinsically wrong with exploring new architectural styles;

rather it is the dramatic break from the past and the feeling of displacement

accompanying a new physical environment that perhaps makes the users feel uneasy. The

Second Vatican Council’s meeting is the dramatic break from the past for the Catholic

Church as the architectural changes reflect. Historic churches represented the secure past

and the allowance of their renovation or encouraging new, modern design, the Church

looked forward to an uncertain world, a change not welcomed by all parishioners.

36 Lowenthal, David. The Past is a Foreign Country. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press,

1985. 41. 37 Ibid. 399.

30

Chapter 3: The Second Vatican Ecumenical Council

The Church as Crucible; the Council as Catalyst

The Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, commonly referred to as Vatican II,

was held from 1962-1965 under the direction of two Popes, Pope John XXIII and Pope

Paul IV.38

The meeting of 2,400 priests commenced on October 11, 1962. This was the

twenty-first ecumenical council, yet is called the Second Vatican Council because it was

the follow-up to the First Vatican Council, which adjourned in 1870. The First Council is

primarily known for settling the issue of Papal Infallibility.39

Infallibility is the belief that

the Pope, when speaking ex cathedra (from the Chair of St. Peter) on matters of doctrine,

is speaking the absolute truth.

Unlike its predecessor called to address dogmatic concerns, the Second Vatican

Council was called from “the ascertainment of the crisis, caused in modern society from

the decaying of spiritual and moral values.”40

Through the internal conflicts

Americanism and Modernism, the liturgical movement, and growing dissention among its

members provoked, the Church recognized it needed to update its practices and find new

ways to incorporate the “people of God” in a more active way than ever before. Simply

38 Carbone, Vincenzo. "Vatican Council II: Light for the Church and for the Modern World."

Jubilee 2000 1 May 1997. The Holy See. 10 Jan. 2009

<http://www.vatican.va/jubilee_2000/magazine/documents/ju_mag_01051997_p-

21_en.html>. 39 Oteanu, Michael. "The Second Vatican Ecumenical Council." Christus Rex 1995. 31 Jan. 2009

<http://www.christusrex.org>. 40 Carbone, Vincenzo. "Vatican Council II: Light for the Church and for the Modern World."

Jubilee 2000 1 May 1997. The Holy See. 10 Jan. 2009

<http://www.vatican.va/jubilee_2000/magazine/documents/ju_mag_01051997_p-

21_en.html>.

31

through the recognition of the need for the Council, the Church demonstrated that

“culture does indeed influence religion… the church does not live in a vacuum or cultural

enclave, but in a society with which it is always interacting,”41

However, then as now, the

Church was not united in its views regarding the outcome of the Council’s meeting; as

Ian Linden points out,

New things were already happening before [the Council], and old things

continued afterwards. Old ways withered and died and new ones were

given permission to grow and flourished. The Church was the crucible; the

Council was the Catalyst…It brought together several slowly growing

movements and gave them momentum and traction.42

The Council produced a variety of new documents on Church teaching and

practice, including Sancrosantum Concilium, Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy. This

document codified active participation, which was not universally embraced by all

Catholics. Older parishioners were most opposed to the changes; among those considered

drastic and profane was the extension of the “kiss of peace” from a gesture performed by

the celebrant to include congregants offering each other some physical gesture such as a

hand shake or hug. Additionally, the Mass was to be spoken in the native language of the

congregation instead of the traditional Latin.

Perhaps much less predictable were the practical implementations of such new

ideas. Although the core of the Church’s theology remained untouched (e.g. the doctrine

on the Holy Trinity), many practices evolved that changed the way the Mass was

celebrated and fundamentally altered the interior design of churches. Additionally, the

41 Dolan, Jay P. In Search of an American Catholicism: A History of Religion and Culture in

Tension. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003. 200. 42 Linden, Ian. Global Catholicism: Pluralism and Renewal in a World Church. New York:

Columbia University Press, 2009. 261.

32

exterior Church architecture began to reflect an embracing of new ideas with architectural

forms mimicking new ideas on how to practice Catholicism.

Cultural Trends and Tension: A Catholic Response

Immediately following World War Two, the United States grew in economic

prosperity and emerged as a world leader. Concurrently, the American Catholic Church

was vibrant and growing both monetarily and in membership. By the 1960’s however,

various Civil Rights Movements as well as never-before-seen issues such a nuclear

threats were replacing the stability the country and the Church enjoyed in the wake of

World War Two.. Increasingly, American Catholic Church membership was comprised

of parishioners who were not only more aware of world events, but were more

empowered than previous generations to make demands of institutions for change (e.g.

Civil Rights protests, sit-ins and freedom marches). Paralleling social changes, new and

exciting innovations surfaced in architecture and the arts. Information traveled across the

globe with more rapidity and the winds of social change were universally felt. The people

felt empowered for the first time to make demands of the Church in a way that asked for

reformation not by establishing new sects of Christianity, rather through seeking to adapt

current practice to address modern concern.

Vatican II was not held in response solely to issues Catholics in America were

raising and facing. The Second Vatican Council addressed matters facing the worldwide

church, but the American Catholic Church was growing as a major component of the

greater whole; the issues that arose in the States were simultaneously unique and

representative of issues facing the universal church.

33

Despite the pressures on the Church leading up to the 1960’s, the push to more

fully adapt the traditions of the church to increase the lay community’s participation in

worship began much earlier. The seeds of change within the church began to emerge in

the 1800’s with the liturgical movement in addition to Americanism and Modernism.

The liturgical movement began in Europe, most notably in monastic communities in

France, Belgium and Germany. These groups pushed an agenda that included translation

of the Mass from Latin to native languages, as well as increased frequency of the

reception of Holy Communion.43

All Christian churches, and the Catholic Church in

particular, felt the liturgical movement’s impact. It even “…played a significant role

with the 1947 encyclical Mediator Dei, in which [Pope Pius XII] stressed the importance

of liturgy and the need for people to participate.”44

The purpose of these changes was to

allow the congregation to move from passive observers to engagement in the liturgy

through participation as lectors and Eucharistic ministers. The Second Vatican Council

embraced these ideas; the reformation is reflected in the subsequent architectural design

modifications to existing churches as well as new church design.

The interpretation and incorporation of the idea of active participation greatly

influenced ritual practice and space. While the theological application of active

participation may trace its roots to the liturgical movement, there is evidence this concept

also has strong beginnings to various philosophical movements including democracy,

especially in the American Catholic Church.45

43 ""Liturgical Movement." Encylcopaedia Britannica. 2009. Encyclopaedia Britannica Online. 12

Feb. 2009 <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/344314/Liturgical-Movement>. 44 Ibid. 45 Dolan, Jay P. In Search of an American Catholicism: A History of Religion and Culture in

34

The Catholic Church relies heavily on hierarchy to maintain order and control of

itself as well its members, however, the United States of America were founded on the

ideal of democracy and in revolt against a monarchy. With this idea as the foundation of

America, it is no surprise that conflict between American Catholics and the hierarchy of

the Church developed into Americanism. Despite Vatican II, and although the conflict is

somewhat subdued since Vatican II, the central authority of Rome and American

Catholics continue to butt heads. This conflict is routinely on display when any pro-

choice Catholic politician runs for office and is subsequently forbidden to receive

Communion by the United States Council of Catholic Bishops. Of late, Vice President,

Joe Biden was on the top of a long list that includes John Kerry and Kathleen Sebelius,

all of whom were directed against full participation in Mass.46

A lasting impact: Church design in the 44 years after

Vatican II

Concurrently with the power struggle of the early 20

th century between Rome and

Washington, trends in art and architecture were diverting from traditional forms as well.

The Modern Dance movement began around 1900 with dancers, such as Isadora Duncan

and Martha Graham in the 1930’s, who rejected the classicism and rigidity of ballet;

artists experimented with new forms and styles such as expressionism and cubism, and

architects such as Frank Lloyd Wright and Louis I. Kahn were shaking up traditional

Tension. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003. 204.

46 Sullivan, Amy. "Does Biden Have a Catholic Problem?" Time Magazine 13 Sept. 2008. 5 May

2009 <http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,18409565,00.html>.

35

architectural forms. Society and culture were rapidly changing and modernizing and

Americans were leading the charge. The Catholic Church desperately needed to update

itself if it was to remain relevant. The Second Vatican Council was held in response to

the changing times and signaled to the world that in spite of 2000 years of what appeared

to unwavering tradition, the Church was not only capable of, but embraced change.

Over the course of the last forty-four years since the close of the Second Vatican

Council in 1965, the landscape of Catholic Churches and Catholicism in America have

greatly changed. The American Catholic Church has faced highly publicized and costly

scandals such as the infamous abuse cases in Boston. Additionally, Mass attendance

continues to fall as the neighborhood parish declines as the epicenter of community life.

John Allen, a Vatican columnist for the weekly National Catholic Reporter describes this

trend writing, “Parishes are often sacramental filing stations- people come for the

Eucharist, baptisms, marriages and funerals, but little else.”47

Weekly attendance rates

declined from 44% in 1987 to 37% in 1999, a trend attributable to both declining urban

populations as well as weakening ties to the Catholic Church, though perhaps not a

wholesale rejection of religion; "American Catholics have become consumers, church-

shopping … choosing their parish by the school or the theological perspective or the

music that matches them."48

Critics of modern church design argue these trends are due in part to the changes

they perceive as the Second Vatican Council’s assignment of the people to a higher

priority over God. The cutting edge design of churches built or remodeled in the

47 Grossman, Cathy L., and Anthony DeBarros. "Church Struggles With Change."

USA Today 7 November 2004. 22 April 2009

<http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2004-11-07-church-main_x.htm>. 48 Ibid.

36

immediate wake of the Council are themselves becoming more historical and antiquated

than contemporary; they are being relegated to the same status of historical like the those

they were originally intended to update or replace.

However, despite declining attendance and parish closures primarily in the older

Northeast and Midwest cities, new churches are being built in their suburbs as well as in

the southern United States where for instance, “From 1990 to 2003, the number of

Catholics in Dallas more than quadrupled.”49

Existing traditional buildings and

congregations does not constrain these new churches, rather, they take the opportunity to

explore new forms completely separate from the old. Additionally, some churches are

making an effort to return to pre-Vatican II layouts and design. The result is a

hodgepodge of Catholic Church Architecture that mirrors the myriad of ways people

practice today’s Catholicism. The following is a brief overview of some of the ways

Church architecture is evolving across the United States.

Mount Saint Michael, Spokane, Washington

Mount Saint Michael in Spokane, Washington, a church that rejects without

exception, every reformation of the Second Vatican Council.50

The Parish is not

officially part of the Diocese of Spokane, rather it is the home of traditionalist Catholics,

although there is a religious order of brothers and nuns who are associated with the

church. Mount Saint Michael is part of a group of ultra-conservative Catholics called the

traditionalist movement. Traditionalist churches provide contemporary examples of pre-

49 Ibid. 50 This parish is not officially part of any Catholic diocese, rather it is the home of traditionalist

Catholics .

37

Vatican II practice and architecture and can serve as a baseline for comparison of post-

Vatican II parishes.

The picture of the sanctuary below shows a full communion rail across the front

of the sanctuary, unmovable, wooden pews facing the altar, which is only accessible on

three sides. Every element of the sanctuary conforms to pre-Vatican II design standards.

Sancturary of Mount Saint Michael church including the communion rail and only one

altar.51

Christ the Light Cathedral, Oakland, California

On September 25, 2008, the Cathedral of Christ the Light was dedicated in

Oakland, California. The new Cathedral, which only took three years to construct, was

51 Mount Saint Michael's Sanctuary. Spokane. 15 Apr. 2009 <http://www.stmichaels.org>.

38

built as a replacement for the Cathedral of Saint Francis de Sales after it was lost to the

Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989.52

As the name suggests, the design’s primary focus uses

natural light to create a sense of mystery inside in a similar manner employed by

traditional churches through the use of stained glass to manipulate light to create a sense

of mystery in the interior. Despite this similarity, there is no way Christ the Light could

be confused with an historic, pre-Vatican II church.

Christ the Light Cathedral, relies on some traditional symbolism such as light and

crosses, and employs several distinctly post-Vatican II design standards including

“theater in the round” seating, no high altar. Additionally, the primary building materials

are wood, glass, and steel, not stone and mortar, resulting in a thoroughly modern

construction. The Oakland Diocese clearly embraces the new direction the Second

Vatican Council advocated both in design and name, stating,

“The name is a departure from the tradition of naming cathedrals after

Mary the Mother of God or a patron saint. In dedicating its mother church

to Christ the Light the Diocese of Oakland highlights the role that Christ

must play in the new millennium.”

Interestingly, in choosing the name, the building committee also looked directly

to the document Lumen Gentium, which came out of the Second Vatican Council’s

document on Dogmatic Constitution on the Church; the opening line reads, “Christ is the

light of the nations.”53

52 "Hallmark Events of the Catholic Church in the East Bay." The Cathedral of

Christ the Light. 2009. The Diocese of Oakland. 10 Oct. 2008

<http://www.oakdiocese.org/>. 53 "Naming the Cathedral of Christ the Light." The Cathedral of Christ the Light.

2009. The Diocese of Oakland. 5 Jan. 2009 <http://www.oakdiocese.org/>.

39

From its name to its design, the Diocese of Oakland and its new cathedral have

embraced the opportunity to move forward with non-traditional forms fully in-line with

the reforms of Vatican II. The progressive design was easy to embrace given that Saint

Francis de Sales was totally destroyed.

Interior of Christ the Light Cathedral54

54 Rubio, Cesar. Christ the Light Interior. 2008. The Cathedral of Christ the Light, Oakland.

Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill LLP. 3 Mar. 2009 <http://www.SOM.com>.

40

Exterior of Christ the Light Cathedral55

Saint John the Baptist, Tryon, North Carolina

Unlike Christ the Light Cathedral, Saint John the Baptist in Tryon, North Carolina

was constructed in 1962, coinciding with the opening Second Vatican Council. While

the Council had not yet codified many of the documents and reformation, the seeds of

social, religious and architectural change were already sown in the United States, and are

reflected in the minimalist architecture of this small church.

This simple church in the Diocese of Charlotte does not make a striking statement

on the landscape like Saint Francis de Sales in Philadelphia or Christ the Light in

Oakland, yet it is representative of a small, but growing movement to return to more

55 Rubio, Cesar. Christ the Light Exterior. 2008. The Cathedral of Christ the Light, Oakland.

Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill LLP. 6 May 2009 <http://www.SOM.com>.

41

traditional designs dating to before Vatican II. Recently renovated, the parish replaced the

existing simple wooden pulpit and altar with a high altar, central altar and new pulpit, and

most surprising of all, a communion rail.

The Cathedral of Christ the Light, Saint John the Baptist and Mount Saint

Michael’s are three churches in a post-Vatican II world, distinctly different, yet

universally Catholic that have responded to the Second Vatican Council’s reforms in

unique ways. However, it is in their differences that they uniformly reflect the new

direction of the Church to empower and engage the people. Many post-Vatican II

Catholic churches lack the traditional forms and materials of historic churches, they

represent the plurality of liturgical elements, languages, and groups the Church now

embraces, while remaining faithful the core dogma of Catholicism.

42

Before and after pictures of the sanctuary of Saint John the Baptist Church.56

Saint John the Baptist serves as a representative of the movement to bring post-

Vatican II churches inline with pre-Vatican II directives. Additionally, this movement is

important for the preservation of historic church interiors. These churches built after the

1960’s are often retrofitted with furnishings removed from other historic churches. While

some preservationists may suggest the furnishings no longer posses their original value,

these Catholic churches are preserving historic art and architecture through continued

use.

56 Tribe, Shawn. Before and After. Saint John the Baptist, Sanctuary, Tryon, North Carolina. New

Liturgical Movement. 14 Apr. 2009. Sacred Liturgy and Liturgical Arts. 18 Apr. 2009

<http://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2009/04/another-church-renovation-st-

john.html>.

43

Chapter 4: Case Study: Saint Francis de Sales

“You must know what you believe before you build.”57

Front elevation of Saint Francis de Sales in West Philadelphia.58

57 Durham, Robert, L. FAIA. “Sticks and Stones for Tomorrow.” Faith and Form. (1968). 58 Boucher, Jack. Saint Francis de Sales Roman Catholic Church. Sept. 1973. HABS No. PA-

1640, 4629- 4635 Springfield Avenue, Philadelphia.

44

Saint Francis de Sales Catholic Church located in West Philadelphia is the

embodiment of every issue discussed in this thesis. The building is an iconic,

neighborhood landmark on 47th

and Springfield Streets, by virtue of the highly visible

golden dome rising above the trees, the Byzantine and Roman flourishes, the massive

scale, and its long existence. In 1968, in response to Vatican II’s reformations, liberal

clergy, and a letter entitled “Commission on the Sacred Liturgy” to the parish from the

Archdiocese of Philadelphia that strongly urged “…suitable steps be taken to erect [a free

standing altar]… within the current calendar year,” the Parish undertook a landmark

renovation designed by world-renowned Philadelphia architect Robert Venturi. 59

The

parishioners met the installation with a loud outcry and tore it out almost as soon as it

was completed. The case of the Venturi renovation, and the subsequent removal, are

representative of the Church architectural reformation sweeping the country post-Vatican

II.

59 Archdiocese of Philadelphia. "Commission on the Sacred Liturgy." Letter to Saint Francis de

Sales parish. 19 June 1968. University of Pennsylvania Architectural Archives VSB

225.II.A.25.7.

45

Parish History

Interior of St. Francis de Sales on Scout Sunday, 1949. Communion rail and high altar

still intact.60

60 Scout Sunday. 1949. 1947 - 1972 Scrapbook, Sanctuary of Saint Francis de Sales, Philadelphia.

Boy Scout Troop 152. Ed. Bernie Kelley. 20 Apr. 2009

<http://www.geocities.com/troop_152/history/index.html>.

46

Interior of Saint Frances de Sales pre-1965. Communion rail intact separating the congregation from the celebrant, high altar is the only central altar and is attached to the wall.

61

Approximately one hundred twenty-five years ago Irish immigrants, mostly hired

help for the wealthy in the affluent West Philadelphia neighborhoods, formed Saint

Francis de Sales parish.62

Saint Francis as a namesake was an unsurprising choice given

that. “He had an intense love for the poor, especially those who were of respectable

family.”63

Outreach to the diverse immigrant neighborhood population continues to be a

cornerstone of the parish’s mission.

In 1890 Father O’Neill purchased the plot of land at the corner of 47th

and

Springfield Avenue in the Spruce Hill neighborhood of West Philadelphia for $15,000.00

61 Diamond Jubilee 1890-1965. Philadelphia: Saint Francis de Sales, 1965. The Athenaeum of

Philadelphia holdings. 26. 62 "Susan Weiler, FASLA, Partner, The Olin Firm." Personal interview. 6 Feb. 2009. 63 Pernin, Raphael. "St. Francis de Sales." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 6. New York: Robert

Appleton Company, 1909. 5 Apr. 2009.

47

and construction began on the large, Byzantine inspired church. Eventually, a school,

convent, rectory, and church would occupy this site. In 1907 Reverend Michael Crane,

the second pastor, laid the cornerstone, although it was not until November of 1920 that

the church was consecrated and the debt cleared. Over the next few decades minor

renovations and upkeep were performed when in 1956 the golden dome was retiled.

However, this renovation did not affect the liturgical space. Liturgical changes resulting

from the Second Vatican Council went into effect on the feast of Saints Peter and Paul in

1967. In June 1968 Father McNamee and Father Daniel Quinn were assigned to Saint

Francis, they were subsequently reassigned in 1973 to other parishes.64

The Industrial Revolution and the capability to build open, expansive spaces as

well as the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, inspired Henry Dagit, the project architect. 65

Howver, Charles Biswanger of the Dagit firm is credited with the interior design. The

intricate stained glass windows were the product of D’Ascenzo Studios and the

stonemason was John Hagan and Company. The Atlantic Terra Cotta Company

produced the internal and exterior architectural terra cotta, and the Pennsylvania Marble

and Granite Company installed the ashlar white rock face.66

Perhaps the most iconic part of the building is the golden dome supported by the

Guastavino tile system. Rafael Guastavino, a Spanish immigrant, who developed an arch

64 Curran, Frances F., ed. Saint Francis de Sales; the First 100 Years. Philadelphia, 1990. The

Athenaeum of Philadelphia holdings. 15-29. 65 Baldwin, Lou. "Saint Francis de Sales: Preserving a Sacred Heritage." The Catholic Standard

and Times 25 May 2006. 14 Apr. 2009

<http://www.archphila.org/cst_archives/060525/fourth.html>. 66"Saint Francis de Sales Church." Philadelphia Architects and Builders. The Athenaeum,

Philadelphia. 5 Apr. 2009

<http://www.philadelphiabuildings.org/pab/app/pj_dispplay.cfm/20991>.

48

construction method using interlocking terra cotta tiles and mortar to create a thin skin to

hold up arches instead of traditional methods such as horizontal corbelling. Guastavino

and his son formed the Guastavino Fireproof Construction Company that is responsible

for approximately one thousand projects including the Boston Public Library, Grand

Central Hall and Carnegie Hall, and Saint Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church, all of New

York City67

Irish immigrants comprised the majority of the parish membership and they

utilized the skills of well-known architects and designers to build a traditional church

echoing the great Church architecture of Europe and the Near East. They used the finest

materials and the result was an inspiring building worthy of notoriety. Because of this

history, it should come as no surprise the Parish turned to another notable architect some

sixty years later when they sought to update their church to adapt to the new

recommendations of the Second Vatican Council, and more importantly, the United

States Council of Catholic Bishops directives in Environment and Art in Catholic

Worship.

Reverend John McNamee led the building committee; they chose Philadelphia

firm of Venturi and Rauch. The firm’s growing international reputation was an attractive

quality to the parish. However, their architecture fell into a decidedly modern category,

which was later categorized as post-modernist, a label Venturi rejects. Interestingly, when

asked if he was surprised the church chose him, Mr. Venturi answered, “Yeah, I was!”68

67 Collins, George, Jaume Rossell, and Salvador Tarragó. Guastavino Co. (1885-1962) Catalogue

of Works in Catalonia and America. Barcelona: Actar/Collegi d'Arquitectes de

Catalunya, 2003. 68 "Robert Venturi and Saint Francis de Sales." Personal interview. 7 Apr. 2009.

49

Venturi was interested in traditional forms and the use of new materials; he used

new materials to suggest traditional forms. The Vanna Venturi house clearly

demonstrates this through the suggestions of an arch over a doorway, a traditional

element. However, Venturi’s translations of historical forms are not always literal; he was

inspired by history, but not bound by it.69

Additionally, Venturi’s master’s thesis

entitled, “Context in Architectural Composition” was a design for a chapel at his alma

mater, Episcopal Acadmey, Merion, Pennsylvania. The driving philosophy behind the

project employed a “history-based approach [that] was old fashioned, now that

modernism’s and antihistoricists rhetoric was well established, it sounded almost

radical.”70

Perhaps this exactly why he was chosen by Father McNamee, who was

himself labeled liberal and progressive by his parishioners.

69 Two of Venturi’s most notable publications are Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture

and Learning from Las Vegas: The Forgotten Symbolism of Architectural Form. These award

winning, architectural theory staples explore Vernturi’s philosophy on architecture for the

“common” person and helped establish him as a major player in post modernist architecture. 70 Brownlee, David, David G. DeLong, and Kathryn B. Hiesinger. Out of the Ordinary, Robert

Venturi and Denise Scott Brown and Associates. New York: Philadelphia Museum of

Art, 2001. 10.

50

Vanna Venturi House.71

The renovations take shape

In 1968, three years after the close of the Second Vatican Council, Venturi and

Rauch, Architects engaged with Saint Francis de Sales to bring the sanctuary into a new

era, reflecting both current architectural trends as well as the theological and practical

reforms. Fortunately for those who despised the new installation, the only permanent,

physical alteration of the sanctuary was a partial removal of the alter rail. Altar rails were

among the most commonly removed architectural features during the post-Vatican II

renovation movement across the country. The rails were seen as a physical,

psychological and spiritual barrier between the celebrant, the sacrament and the

71 Vanna Venturi House. 1964. Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia. Courtesy of Venturi, Scott Brown,

and Associate, Inc.

51

congregation. Currently, portions of the altar rails stand extant in the sanctuary at St.

Francis on either end of the altar, serving as a reminder of what was once there, and

perhaps as what the Church now stands for: an open relationship between celebrant and

congregation.

Physical Description of the Installation

The installation of Venturi’s new furnishings required a few alterations to the

existing historic fabric of Saint Francis’s sanctuary. The partial removal of the

communion rail left only a few feet on the extreme right and left ends of the ambo.

Additionally, tiling covered the mosaic floor. At the writing of this paper the mosaic floor

is being uncovered and refurbished as Saint Francis de Sales undergoing a major

renovation/restoration project. Although, this restoration is not to return the Venturi

installation, it is to repair water damage from ceiling leaks and other structural issues

related to the tile dome, as well as the restoration of some of the pre-Venturi

furnishings.72

There are five distinct parts of Venturi’s installation; the new altar, the celebrant’s

chair, the lectern, the suspended cathode light and the elevation of the sanctuary floor.

Because the new additions were removed so quickly after their installation, it is not

possible to give a first hand account of Venturi’s work. However, a news release by

Rohm and Haas Company from 1970 describes the pieces very clearly:

The 10-foot-wide altar occupies the center of the sanctuary. It is three feet

high and nearly four feet deep and is made of curved sheets of 1/2 –inch-

72"Susan Weiler, FASLA, Partner, The Olin Firm." Personal interview. 6 Feb. 2009.

52

thick white Plexiglas sheet. Two gently curved sections of the same

thickness of the acrylic sheet form the bases of the table. The matching,

four-foot-high lectern is also made of �-inch-thick Plexiglas acrylic. The

dimensions of its top surface are 31-inches-wide by 26-inches-deep. The

base is a curved section of the same acrylic plastic.73

Additionally, the celebrant’s chair was “…a simple wooden frame dressed in

white vinyl fabric which match[ed] in tone and style the altar and lectern.”74

Finally, “A

continuous ninety foot strip of cold cathode light suspended ten feet above the floor

begins in the nave and weaves back into the altar and out again, separating the older area

of celebration from the new space.”75

73 Rohm and Hass Company. "Contemporary Furniture of Acrylic Plastic Graces Sanctuary Area

of Philadelphia Church." Press release. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 13 June 1970. 74 Venturi, Scott Brown and Associates, Inc. holdings of the University of

Pennsylvania Architectural Archives. VSB225.II.A.25.5 75 Ibid.

53

Plan view of the cold cathode tubing and placement of the new lectern, altar and chair. In this drawing the intention to separate the old and the new is clearly visible.

76

76 Von Moos, Stanislaus. Venturi, Rauch and Scott Brown: Buildings and Projects. New York:

Rizzoli International Publications, 1987. 301-02.

54

This picture illustrates the distinction between old and new is perhaps more clearly seen in plan and as a member of the congregation, the light tube serves as more of a distraction than as a juxtaposition between old and new. Photo Courtesy of Venturi Scott Brown and Associates, Inc.

Front view of the altar. Courtesy of Venturi, Scott Brown and Associates, Inc.

55

Build what you believe; the aftermath

The recurring theme in everything written about Robert Venturi’s installation is

that he believed in treating the existing building with respect and decided to make his

additions so blatantly modern there would be no confusion between the old and the new.

This juxtaposition was extremely important to him, even forty years and hundreds of

projects later; he said

We took the approach necessary to acknowledge the building and quality

and at the same time make [the installation] a modern and new aesthetic

from juxtaposing the old and the new, employing an everyday commercial

medium, neon.77

Although the parish disagreed, Venturi did not approach this project as a self-

indulgent exercise. Carefully reflecting on both the social and liturgical changes in the

Church, he believed the yellow cathode tubing created a unique and unobtrusive partition

between the old and the new (the old high altar facing away from the people and the new

altar facing towards the people). He also was responding to a new frugality the Church

and society were embracing:

These synthetic furnishings and the vinyl (rather than marble) tiles of the

sanctuary floor are meant to convey other things also: the new awareness

that we must not expend lavish sums on the decoration of buildings,

however serious their purpose. In a world of acute human need we must

use all imagination and resourcefulness to create beauty and service out of

more modest materials and sources.78

77 "Robert Venturi and Saint Francis de Sales." Personal interview. 7 Apr. 2009. 78 Venturi, Scott Brown and Associates, Inc. holdings of the University of Pennsylvania

Architectural Archives. VSB225.II.A.25.5

56

"Latest news: Parish pussyfooters have decreed the removal

to the cold cathode light."79

Robert Venturi believed he was respecting the old while giving Saint Francis de

Sales church a way to incorporate the new liturgical practices instituted by the Second

Vatican Council. However, the feeling was not mutual. Letters to the editor were

written, complaints lodged and eventually the architecturally conservative members of

the parish won out with the nearly immediate removal of the cathode tubing and

subsequent removal of the Plexiglas furnishings.

Emotions ran high when his design was ill received. Believing the parishioners

were simply too conservative both socially and architecturally, Robert Venturi wrote a

letter to the Arts Editor of Time Magazine:

This West Philadelphia parish is rift with tensions because it is

‘integrating,’ i.e. an existing elderly Irish population (those who didn’t

make it to the suburbs) feels itself to be invaded by blacks, students, and

liberal priests. Most of the invaders’ activities…cannot be fought, so

perhaps architecture must bear the brunt of the congregation’s anguish.80

Undoubtedly, frustration caused by his design being misunderstood, was behind

some of this letter, but it speaks to many of the larger issues the facing the Church. The

world was changing in many ways and suddenly a place people found comfort in 2000

years of tradition was changing too. At Saint Francis de Sales in particular,

“The overwhelming majority [felt] that the altar, pulpit and chair [did] not

in anyway fit into the beauty of the church they have loved over the years.

79 Ibid. 80 Venturi, Robert. "Letter to the Editor." Letter to Mr. A. T. Baker, Arts Editor. 17 July 1970.

Time Magazine. Architectural Archives of the University of Pennsylvania. VSB

225.II.A.25.5

57

Nor can they appreciate the attempt at a blending of the old and the

new.”81

For Saint Francis de Sales parishioners, the architect’s attempt to “sanctify the

profane” only accomplished to profane the sacred.82

Additionally, in their publication

compiled for the 100th

anniversary of Saint Francis parish, there is no mention of the

installation, or removal of the Venturi renovations, an indication of just how poorly they

were received. Moreover, it is common practice for occasional reassignment of priests

within dioceses, although, in light of the apparent conflicts between priests and

parishioners there is no suggestion the transfer was met with much resistance by the

parish.

81 Smyth, Henry J, Rev. "Letter to the Editor." Letter. 8 June 1970. Philadelphia Inquirer.

Architectural Archives of the University of Pennsylvania. VSB 225.II.A.25.5 82 Von Moos, Stanislaus. Venturi, Rauch and Scott Brown: Buildings and Projects. New York:

Rizzoli International Publications, 1987. 301-02.

58

Chapter 5: Conclusion

Throughout its history, the American Catholic Church has been at odds, in one

form or another, with the Holy See. The philosophical ideas of Americanism and

Modernism, coupled with the reforms instigated by the liturgical movement, were the

ideological foundations that spurred the calling of the Council. Geographic distance only

served to further the strain on Rome and Washington’s relationship. What remains of the

Catholic Church in America after the Second Vatican Council is an institution that

partially updated its practices and buildings, and left in its wake a hodgepodge of

architecture and practice that forms today’s American Catholicism. In the 44 years since

Council closed in 1965, American Catholics look beyond the Church for moral guidance

and the center of community life; they have a more pluralistic view of the world than

their pre-Vatican II counterparts, and embrace a variety of architectural styles and

designs as their own. This plurality reflects the current state of Catholicism as much as

traditional churches reflect the Catholics and the state of the faith practiced at the time of

their construction.

The Catholic Church in America poses a unique challenge for those interested in

preservation. From its floor plans to its decoration, the church building is the physical

manifestation of the Catholic Faith. The changes in practice instituted by the Second

Vatican Council are directly reflected in the alterations of traditional churches and in the

design of post-Vatican II churches. For preservationists in America, protecting and

preserving historic churches is complicated by the powerful link between building and

belief, as well as the fundamental principle of separation of church and state. Legal

59

regulation can only go so far when dealing with historic American Catholic Churches,

which is why values-centered preservation is such a powerful tool to protect churches and

preserve the work of notable architects.

The impact of the Second Vatican Council on historic Catholic churches extends

far beyond the immediate physical alteration when churches such as Saint Francis de

Sales in West Philadelphia were renovated. Now almost 50 years from this landmark

event, preservationists are in a position to look back at the renovations and not only

understand the implications of the Council on historic churches, but also understand the

lessons learned about the link between architecture and religion.

Some critics may say the damage has already been done to historic churches when

the interiors were altered in the 1960’s and 1970’s, some may make a case for a

renovation, like Robert Venturi’s in 1968, the highest period of significance. However,

through the lens of critical distance, preservationists and a values-centered management

approach a management plan can forge a path that respects the pre-existing church, the

renovations, and the wishes of the faith community that continues to use and maintain the

buildings.

The case of Saint Francis de Sales poses an interesting challenge, one that might

never have become an issue if the building committee took a cue from the Second

Vatican Council and recognized the importance of parishioners taking an active role in

the planning and renovating of their church. The irony cannot be lost that Father

McNamee and Robert Venturi sought to follow the principles of active participation and

modernization in design, but seemed blind to them in practice.

60

At this point in Saint Francis’s history, the question becomes how should we treat

the Venturi installation. Venturi only changed the inside of the church, the exterior

largely remains the same, conveying the same feeling to the community at large. If

preservation and the Catholic Church are to find common ground on interior architecture,

the stakeholders must be grouped into two categories: the parishioners and the

neighborhood community. This grouping also depends upon the definition of public and

private space. In the case of Saint Francis de Sales, the public and private spaces are

defined as the exterior and interior. However, this distinction may not always be the case,

particularly with churches that are also prominent public spaces where the interiors are as

easily recognizable as the exteriors and are iconic themselves, such as Saint Patrick’s

Cathedral in New York City, which includes altars designed by Tiffany & Co.

Defining who are the stakeholders is an area where preservationists can and

should be included in the religious realm. The use of a values-based management

operational plan would help resolve these situations. First, it must be determined where

the value of the place is derived; does value lie in the notoriety of the architect who

designed the building, in the location, in its role in a famous or important event, or simply

because the building is church and possesses its own intrinsic value. Once the layers of

meaning are discerned and the stakeholders are assigned priority, a preservation

management plan can be developed. 83

Ultimately, it comes down to a decision of what is

more important, preservation through the continuation of use by the community who built

it, or the preservation of the integrity of original furnishings.

83 Assigning priority to stakeholder groups is not always a popular, but often-necessary decision

preservationists must make. Someone must be first among equals or the value of the building or

landscape’s original intention is in peril.

61

Religious buildings pose their own unique challenges and I suggest adopting a

guiding principle of leaving the interior renovations to the users of the space and the

exterior to the Preservationists. This idea is frequently followed when private buildings

are renovated; a key question is “Does the street view reflect the original quality and

context?” This is not a statement of blanket permission for projects frequently referred to

as facadomies or facadectomis, rather it serves as another check and balance in the debate

between who controls the preservation of private buildings, including churches.

The approach may lead to heart wrenching situations where a Robert Venturi

interior is removed, but the building continues to serve as the community landmark with

its golden dome rising above the trees in West Philadelphia, a symbol of permanence and

tradition in a rapidly changing world. After all, “It is far better to realize the past has

always been altered than to pretend it has always been the same.”84

84 Lowenthal, David. The Past is a Foreign Country. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press,

1985. 412.

62

Works Consulted

Archdiocese of Philadelphia. "Commission on the Sacred Liturgy." Letter to Saint

Francis de Sales parish. 19 June 1968. University of Pennsylvania Architectural

Archives VSB 225.II.A.25.7.

Baldwin, Lou. "Saint Francis de Sales: Preserving a Sacred Heritage." The Catholic

Standard and Times 25 May 2006. 14 Apr. 2009

<http://www.archphila.org/cst_archives/060525/fourth.html>.

Berkey-Gerard, Mark. "Religion and Historic Preservation." Gotham Gazette 15 Dec.

2003. 24 July 2008 <http://www.gothamgazette.com/article//20031215/200/804>.

Bishops' Committee on the Liturgy. Environment and Art in Catholic Worship. Grand

Rapids: Hunter Press, 1978.

Boucher, Jack. Saint Francis de Sales Roman Catholic Church. Sept. 1973. HABS No.

PA-1640, 4629- 4635 Springfield Avenue, Philadelphia.

Brownlee, David, David G. DeLong, and Kathryn B. Hiesinger. Out of the Ordinary,

Robert Venturi and Denise Scott Brown and Associates. New York: Philadelphia

Museum of Art, 2001.

Carbone, Vincenzo. "Vatican Council II: Light for the Church and for the Modern

World." Jubilee 2000 1 May 1997. The Holy See. 10 Jan. 2009

<http://www.vatican.va/jubilee_2000/magazine/documents/ju_mag_01051997_p-

21_en.html>.

Ciferni, Andrew D., OP "Overview of Environment and Art in Catholic Worship."

Diocese of Winona. 10 Sept. 2008

<www.dow.org/documents/EACWstudyDOC.doc>.

Collins, George, Jaume Rossell, and Salvador Tarragó. Guastavino Co. (1885-1962)

Catalogue of Works in Catalonia and America. Barcelona: Actar/Collegi

d'Arquitectes de Catalunya, 2003.

Collins, Ken, Rev. Ken Collins' Web Site. 2009. 9 May 2009

<http://www.kencollins.com/glossery/plan-1.htm>.

Corner, Donald, and Jenny Young. Notre Dame du Haute. Ronchamp, Ronchamp,

France. Great Buildings Online. 9 May 2009 <GreatBuildings.com>.

Cotton, J. Randall. "ALTARations: Vatican II and Historic Church Interiors." Inspired

(1989): 4-6-10-13.

63

Curran, Frances F., ed. Saint Francis de Sales; the First 100 Years. Philadelphia, 1990.

The Athenaeum of Philadelphia holdings.

Diamond Jubilee 1890-1965. Philadelphia: Saint Francis de Sales, 1965. The Athenaeum

of Philadelphia holdings.

Dolan, Jay P. In Search of an American Catholicism: A History of Religion and Culture

in Tension. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003.

Durham, Robert, L. FAIA. “Sticks and Stones for Tomorrow.” Faith and Form. 1 (1968):

6-7, 27.

Grossman, Cathy L., and Anthony DeBarros. "Church Struggles With Change."

USA Today 7 November 2004. 22 April 2009

<http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2004-11-07-church-main_x.htm>.

HABS NY-5709. Drawing of First Floor Plan. 1933. Historic American Buildings Survey

(Library of Congress), Blessed Trinity Roman Catholic Church, Buffalo.

Hales, Edward E. E. The Catholic Church in the Modern World. London: Eyre and

Spottiswoode, 1958.

"Hallmark Events of the Catholic Church in the East Bay." The Cathedral of

Christ the Light. 2009. The Diocese of Oakland. 10 Oct. 2008

<http://www.oakdiocese.org/>.

Huges, Philip, Msg. "The Church in Crisis; A History of the General Councils: 325-

1870." Christus Rex. 12 Feb. 2009. <http://www.christusrex.org>.

Linden, Ian. Global Catholicism: Pluralism and Renewal in a World Church. New York:

Columbia University Press, 2009.

"Liturgical Movement." Encylcopaedia Britannica. 2009. Encyclopaedia Britannica

Online. 12 Feb. 2009

<http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/344314/Liturgical-Movement>.

Lowenthal, David. The Past is a Foreign Country. Cambridge: Cambridge University

Press, 1985.

Mount Saint Michael's Sanctuary. Spokane. 15 Apr. 2009 <http://www.stmichaels.org>.

"Naming the Cathedral of Christ the Light." The Cathedral of Christ the Light.

2009. The Diocese of Oakland. 5 Jan. 2009 <http://www.oakdiocese.org/>.

64

National Conference of Catholic Bishops. Built of Living Stones. Grand Rapids: United

States Council of Catholic Bishops, 2001.

Oteanu, Michael. "The Second Vatican Ecumenical Council." Christus Rex 1995. 31 Jan.

2009 <http://www.christusrex.org>.

Patel, Prakash. The Nave. 2004. Saint Bede Catholic Church, Williamsburg. 10 Apr.

2009 <http://bedeva.org>.

Pernin, Raphael. "St. Francis de Sales." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 6. New York:

Robert Appleton Company, 1909. 5 Apr. 2009.

"Robert Venturi and Saint Francis de Sales." Personal interview. 7 Apr. 2009.

Rohm and Hass Company. "Contemporary Furniture of Acrylic Plastic Graces Sanctuary

Area of Philadelphia Church." Press release. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 13 June

1970.

Rose, Michael S. "Renovating or Ruining the Cathedrals?" Catholic World News. 15 Oct.

2001. 31 July 2008

<http://www.ewnews.com/news/viewstory.cfm?recnum=20592>.

Rose, Michael S. Ugly As Sin : Why They Changed Our Churches from Sacred Places to

Meeting Spaces - and How We Can Change Them Back Again. New York:

Sophia Institute Press, 2001.

Rubio, Cesar. Christ the Light Exterior. 2008. The Cathedral of Christ the Light,

Oakland. Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill LLP. 6 May 2009

<http://www.SOM.com>.

Rubio, Cesar. Christ the Light Interior. 2008. The Cathedral of Christ the Light, Oakland.

Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill LLP. 3 Mar. 2009 <http://www.SOM.com>.

Rutler, George W., Rev "Ten Myths of Contemporary Church Architecture." Sacred

Architecture Fall 1998. The Catholic Liturgical Library. 7 Nov. 2008

<http://www.catholicliturgicallibrary.com/index/cfm/FuseAction/ArticleText/Inde

x/65/SubIndex/116/ArticleIndex/24>.

"Saint Francis de Sales Church." Philadelphia Architects and Builders. The Athenaeum,

Philadelphia. 5 Apr. 2009

<http://www.philadelphiabuildings.org/pab/app/pj_dispplay.cfm/20991>.

Schloeder, Steven J. Architecture in Communion: Implementing the Second Vatican

Council Through Liturgy and architecture. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1998.

65

Scout Sunday. 1949. 1947 - 1972 Scrapbook, Sanctuary of Saint Francis de Sales,

Philadelphia. Boy Scout Troop 152. Ed. Bernie Kelley. 20 Apr. 2009

<http://www.geocities.com/troop_152/history/index.html>.

Second Vatican Council. Sacrsanctum Consilium: Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy. 4

Dec. 1963.

Smith, Randall. "Don’t Blame Vatican II." Sacred Architecture Journal 13 (2007).

Smith, Thomas. "Architecture and Active Participation." Antiphon: A Journal for

Liturgical Renewal 9 (2005): 121-32.

Smyth, Henry J, Rev. "Letter to the Editor." Letter. 8 June 1970. Philadelphia Inquirer.

Architectural Archives of the University of Pennsylvania. VSB 225.II.A.25.5

Stroik, Duncan G. "The Roots of Modernist Church Architecture." Duncan G. Stroik

Architect, LLC. 2009. 6 Feb. 2009 <http://www.stroik.com>.

Sullivan, Amy. "Does Biden Have a Catholic Problem?" Time Magazine 13 Sept. 2008. 5

May 2009 <http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,18409565,00.html>.

"Susan Weiler, FASLA, Partner, The Olin Firm." Personal interview. 6 Feb. 2009.

Tribe, Shawn. Before and After. Saint John the Baptist, Sanctuary, Tryon, North

Carolina. New Liturgical Movement. 14 Apr. 2009. Sacred Liturgy and Liturgical

Arts. 18 Apr. 2009 <http://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2009/04/another-

church-renovation-st-john.html>.

Vanna Venturi House. 1964. Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia. Courtesy of Venturi, Scott

Brown, and Associate, Inc.

Venturi, Robert. "Letter to the Editor." Letter to Mr. A. T. Baker, Arts Editor. 17 July

1970. Time Magazine. Architectural Archives of the University of Pennsylvania.

VSB 225.II.A.25.5

Venturi, Scott Brown and Associates, Inc. holdings of the University of Pennsylvania

Architectural Archives. VSB225.II.A.25.5

Von Moos, Stanislaus. Venturi, Rauch and Scott Brown: Buildings and Projects. New

York: Rizzoli International Publications, 1987.

Woods, Thomas E. The Church Confronts Modernity. New York: Columbia University

Presss, 2004.

66

Index

A

active participation......... 4, 11, 12, 13, 34, 37, 65

American Catholic Church 3, 7, 8, 10, 12, 35, 36,

37, 39, 63

American Institute of Architecture ..................30

Americanism........................4, 7, 8, 9, 36, 37, 63

C

Cathedral of Christ the Light ......... 41, 42, 45, 69

Christ the Light CathedralSee Cathedral of Christ

the Light

cold cathode light......................................57, 61

communion rail ....................................... 12, 45.

D

D’Ascenzo Studios..........................................52

Dagit ...............................................................52

F

floor plan ........................................................17

Frank Lloyd Wright ..................................15, 38

G

God.............................. 13, 17, 18, 23, 34, 39, 42

Guastavino ......................................................53

H

high altar....................................... 22, 42, 45, 60

historic American Churches ..............................1

House of God...................................... 11, 13, 26

I

iconography ....................................................17

Infallibility......................................................33

L

liturgical movement ............................ 36, 37, 63

Louis I. Kahn ..................................................38

M

Modernism.........................4, 7, 9, 15, 28, 36, 63

P

People of God ..................................... 11, 13, 26

period of significance......................................64

pew .................................................................24

preservation ................................ 1, 2, 32, 63, 66

preservationists ........ 2, 22, 26, 47, 63, 64, 65, 66

R

Robert Venturi ... 4, 15, 21, 49, 60, 61, 64, 65, 66

S

Sacrosanctum Concilium.................................10

Saint Francis de Sales.... 4, 15, 41, 45, 48, 49, 51,

55, 61, 62, 64, 65

Saint John the Baptist. See . See . See . See . See

Second Vatican Council .. 1, 3, 4, 6, 9, 10, 11, 13,

14, 15, 17, 18, 23, 24, 31, 32, 33, 36, 37, 38,

39, 40, 42, 44, 45, 52, 53, 55, 61, 63, 64, 65,

70, 71

stakeholder..................................................2, 66

T

turning the altar...............................................22

V

Values-centered preservation.......................2, 64

Vatican. 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 17, 18,

21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 28, 29, 31, 32, 33, 36, 37,

38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 47, 49, 52, 53,

55, 61, 63, 64, 65, 68, 70, 71

Vatican II ...................42, 43, 45, 49, 55, 63.

Venturi....4, 49, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 60, 62, 65, 71

W

warehouse church............................................16